By Raul Cortes
MEXICO CITY, April 8 (Reuters) – Mexico’s Senate confirmed Roberto Velasco, the current undersecretary for North America, to be the new foreign ministry, assuming the role at a pivotal moment for regional trade.
President Claudia Sheinbaum tapped Velasco last week after former Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente announced he would leave the position for health reasons.
Velasco was confirmed with 81 votes in favor, while 30 senators voted against and zero abstained.
Velasco has managed diplomatic relations with the United States and Canada since June 2020, serving first as the head of the North American unit before becoming undersecretary.
The leadership change comes as the three member nations of the USMCA — Mexico, the United States, and Canada — are conducting a joint review of the trade pact this year.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle)
